Performance-based Design of Smoke Control and Evacuation in a Building Atrium

AbstractIn this paper, a typical atrium was used as a case for the study of fire harassed. Aiming to the fire defects of this building, smoke screen and mechanical exhaust facilities was recommended to achieve virtual fire district. By performance-based design method,smoke movement of atrium was numerical simulated by combining empirical formula and field simulation under representative fire sceneries. And at the same time, evacuation simulation was carried out by EVACNET4 model on the basis of reasonable estimate of the fire and staff in the building. The result showed that Required Safety Egress Time (RSET) of staff in building is 16.3 min. The required Safety Egress Time from layers to temporary security zone in first floor atrium is 15 min. in the condition of conventional water spray system, setting the smoke screen within 80 cm and smoke extraction system along the corridor in the central courtyard could insure that in the 15 minutes the high temperature flue gas in fire could not be out of court. Therefore, the setting of the smoke screen is an effective performance-based design method